Water-heater.



EATEMBD APR 19, 1904.

No. 757,663. I

E. H MURPHY.

, .WATER HEATER. A PILIUATION FILED NOV. 12,1903.

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I UNITED STATES Patented ,April 19, 1904;.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDi/VARD E. MURPHY, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PUFFER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WATER-HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,563, dated April 19, 1904.

, Application filed November 12, 1908, Serial Nol80,8,23- (Nomode'lQ To aZZ whom, it'may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. MURPHY, of Chelsea, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in ater-Heaters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

The present invention relates to a heater for liquids of that type in which a burner for gaseous fuelsuch, for example, as an ordinary gasburneris provided with a controlling device responsive to changes in temperature of the liquid, so that as the liquid cools the burner will be turned on to heat the liquid, and subsequently turned oil? when the liquid has been heated to the desired degree.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in a heater for water to be used in the dispensing of hot drinks atsoda-fountainaior example, and relates mainly to a novel construction andarrangement of the thermostatic controlling-valve, there being, however, other minor features of novelty, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The drawing is a vertical section of a heater embodying the invention. 7

The liquid to be heated is contained in a reservoir a, having an inlet a? for the cold liquid and an outlet (6 for the hot liquid, the inlet a leading into a tubular passage or duct (0*, which extends downward into the body of the receptacle a to a point near the bottom thereof, the said tubular du'ct closely surrounding a thermostatic device comprisinga chamber 'b, hermetically sealed and containing a medium, preferably a fluid, such as oil, which is capable of expansion and contraction under the influence of changes in temperature. The said chamber 6 is filled with the oil or other suitable medium and then hermetically sealed, said chamber being shown as provided for the purpose with a screw-plug b the head of which extends into a recess in a larger plug 6 which is screwed directly into the end of the chamber 7), and after the said chamber Z) is filled the recess which contains the head of the screw-plug 5 is filled with molten tin or solder 6, so as to hermetically seal the same.

The fluid in the chamber 6 is arranged to act upon a diaphragm 6 which controls the fuelvalve, the said diaphragm being herein shown as a disk the edges of which fit in an annular the chamber a and in turn receives the tubular member a, whichiorms the duct or passage for the inflowing cold liquid.

Between the member I) and the top of' the chamber a is interposed a suitable packinggland b to prevent leakage. The said mem her is further provided with an annular chamber Z2 which surrounds the chamber 6 and has a lateral inlet portion 12 in which the inletpipe a for the cold liquid is screwed or otherwise fastened. The tubular portion of the chamber 6 is also screw-threaded at its upper end in. the member 5 the diaphragm 12 extending over the open end of the chamber 6. The said member 6 further affords the support for a valve-shell c, which contains the fuel valve or gas-valve, as it will be hereinafter referred to, (indicated by the referenceletter 0 the said valve proper consisting of a plug fitting and longitudinally movable in a passage formed in the shell 0, said plug being provided with a longitudinal duct 0 and a lateral duct 0*, through which the gas or other fuel entering the said'passage through a duct 0 from the inlet-pipe a can pass freely to the interior of the valve-shell, which has an outletpipe 0 leading to the burner ebelow the re ceptacle a.

The valve 0 31s provided at its lower end with a flange 0 which affords an abutment for a spring 0 the other end of which rests against a shoulder 0 formed in the valve-shell c, the said spring therefore tending to press the valve downward against the diaphragm 6, upon which the flange c rests. k

The passage above described, which is normally closed by the valve, has the free inlet "0 above the valve and a restricted outlet 0 also above the valve and leading to the interior of the valve-shell. As herein shown, the

said outlet 0 is provided with an adjustable cone-valve 0, herein shown as threaded in a wall of the shell, so as to be capable of adjustment. This afl'ords a continually-open port of restricted capacity from the valve-passage to the gas-outlet pipe 0 thereby supplying the small amount of gas burned continuously, so as to keep the burner alight without producing suflicient heat to aflect the water in the main receptacle 0. If the-valve 0 is open, however, (it being indicated in the drawing as partially open,) the gas will flow more or less freely from the inlet-pipe a through the ducts 0 and 0 to the body of the valve-shell below the valve-passage and thence to the gas-outlet 0 thus causing the burner to give out suflicient heat to atfect the water in the receptacle a.

The valve 0 is arranged to be closed through the agency of a valve-seat d, adapted to cut off the duct 0 the valve c being longitudinally movable toward the seat cl in response to the action of the diaphragm when the fluid in the chamber Z) expands.

In order to insure that the valve 0 may be tightly closed when the temperature has risen to the desired extent without risk of bursting the chamber 6, the seat d is held in its normal position by means of a spring (Z one end of which bears against a plug (Z which is screwed into a tubular member 61*, provided with an annular shoulder (i the seat (Z being contained in a member 6Z6, having a similar annular shoulder, the said member cl being acted upon by the spring (Z so as normally to rest against the annular shoulder cl". Thus even if the valve 0 is pressed upward a little beyond the position of the seat d the said seat will yield and prevent any liability of damage, at the same time tightly closing the valve and cutting off the supply of gas except for the by-pass, which supplies the small amount utilized as the pilot-burner.

In order to adjust the device for difl'erent temperatures, the member cl is externally threaded and screwed into an opening in the top of the valve-shell 0, being provided with a thumb-screw d, by which it may be readily adjusted. These parts are all inclosed by a removable cap (Z ,which prevents any accidental change of the adjustment and also protects the parts.

It will be seen that if a high temperature is desired it can be obtained by turning the member d" so as to carry the seat (Z away from the valve 0 thereby requiring a greater expansion of the fluid in the chamber 6 before the valve is seated, while if a lower temperature is desired it can be provided for by the reverse action. It will be seen that as soon as any of the hot fluid is drawn off from the receptacle 0 it will be replaced by the cold fluid from the inlet (4 the said cold fluid coming in close contact throughout its entire length with the wall of the chamber 6, thereby acting promptly to reduce the temperature of the liquid in said chamber and cause the contraction of the same, so that the gas-valve is opened almost immediately, turning on a full supply of the gas and causing a large amount of heat to be directed against the wall of the chamber a. g

The burner e is shown as of the Bunsen type, having a mixing-chamber e and an inlet 6 which is coupled to the gas-outlet pipe from the valve-chamber c in any suitable or usual way, the coupling portion a of the chamber 6 being provided with an air-inlet e. The burner-orifices 0" open laterally from the chamber 6 below a flange e, which is held in place by a plug member 0 which is preferably screwed into the bottom wall of the chamber a to afford the support for the burner and providedwith a flange a which holds the flange e" in place. The plug member 6 is provided with a stem which isthreaded at its lower end and projects through the bottom of the chamber 6 the parts being secured in place by means of a nut 6 In order to prevent any heating of the liquid in the receptacle a in response to the burning of the small amount of gas utilized to keep the burner alight, the flange e is covered with a layer of heat-insulating material 6 such as asbestos, the said material being held in place between the flanges e and 0 In order to increase the effective heatingsurface and to concentrate the heat upon the bottom of the receptacle a, the bottom wall of said receptacle is provided with annular corrugations a. The said wall is also provided with lugs a, having channels (0 which may be utilized for securing the chamber a and the parts supported thereby to asuitable base. (Not herein shown.)

While the construction herein shown and described constitutes a practical embodiment of the invention, it is not intended to limit the invention to such specific construction and arrangement, since modifications may be made without departing from the invention.

I claim- 1. In a heater for liquids, the combination with a receptacle for the liquid, of a burner below the receptacle, a valve-casing having an outlet-duct to supply the said burner, a valve-passage formed in said casing and hav ing a free inlet for gas and'a restricted outlet leading to said casing, a valvehaving a lon gitudinal duct to afford communication between said passage and said casing, a valve seat within said casing to close said duct, and a thermostatic device to control the movement of said valve relative to said valve-seat.

2. In a heater for liquids, the combination with a receptacle for the liquid, of a burner below the receptacle, a valve-casing having an outlet-duct to supply the said burner, a valve-passage formed in said casing and having a free inlet for gas and a restricted outlet leading to said casing, a valve having a longitudinal duct to afford communication between ,said passage and said casing, a valveseat within said casing to close said duct, and a closed chamber provided with a diaphragm to act on said plug, and containing an expansible fluid, said chamber projecting into the main receptacle for the liquid.

3. In a heater for liquids, the combination with a receptacle for the liquid, of a burner below the receptacle, an' insulating member interposed between said burner and said receptacle, a valve-casing having an outlet-duct to supply said burner, a passage formed in said casing and having a free inlet for gas and a restricted outlet communicating with said valve-casing, a valve seat within said passage,

'a valve having a duct to alford communication between said passage and said casing, said duct being closed by said valve-seat, and a thermostatic device to control the movement of said valve, as set forth.

4. The combination with a receptacle for the liquid; of a closed chamber projecting into said receptacle and containing a fluid; a diaphragm atone end of said chamber; a valveshell above said diaphragm, said valve-shell being provided with an inlet and outlet for EDWARD E. MURPHY.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. LIVERMORE, JAs. J. MALoNEY. 

